Saturday, March 8, 1997

Mexico fights decertification attempt by U.S. Congress
Los Angeles Times
Mexico City Stung by congressional efforts in Washington to revoke
its certification as an ally in the U.S. war on drugs, a frustrated
Mexican government fought back with words and deeds yesterday.
President Ernesto Zedillo, speaking out on the issue for the first time
since the Clinton administration gave the stamp of approval to his
government's counternarcotics efforts a week ago, warned Washington the
bipartisan move to decertify his country could affect Mexican
cooperation in battling the crossborder drug trade:
Zedillo praised President Clinton as "a friend of Mexico" who has stood
by his government and its counternarcotics efforts. But, in a speech
delivered just hours after a House subcommitee voted Thursday to
decertify Mexico, Zedillo said his administration "will act with all its
energy to defend (Mexico's ) dignity and sovereignty."
He did not specify what steps he would take if Congress decertifies
Mexico, but his ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, closed
ranks around him yesterday, and top party officials said Mexico should
indeed scale back its cooperation on the drug front if Congress votes to
overturn certification.
Zedillo, who characterized the U.S. certification debate as an
"internal affair," stressed that he hopes joint antidrug efforts will
continue. And, even as he issued his warning in a speech to Latin
American officials in Cancun that aired just after midnight Thursday,
Mexico's counternarcotics forces were mobilizing elsewhere in the
country.